Stray to Clan
by Marlenerocks
Summary: Oak has heard about the Clans that live beside the lake for many months. But one day, she decides to go on a quest to find them. Will she? Read to find out.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The air was crisp. A calico she-cat stared at the yellow leaves that were drifting to the ground. Her ears flicked backwards and she heard something moving in the bushes. Suddenly, a brown tabby leapt forward, but the calico she-cat swerved to the side. The tabby hit a tree and a shower of leaves came down on him. The calico laughed.

"Well, you're the stupidest brother anyone could have!" The calico giggled. The tabby stood up and shook himself.

"Woah, nothing gets passed you, does it?" The tabby snapped. The calico smiled at him.

"Whatever, Tiger. Let's just try to get something to eat," the calico turned and padded around the tree. Tiger, the tabby, rolled his eyes.

"Okay, Oak," Tiger walked after his sister, Oak, clawing leaf bits out of his fur. Oak kept her head close to the ground, sniffing for any prey. _Now where are they…_

"Surprise!"

Oak and Tiger looked up to see a gray and white she-cat come hurtling towards them. The she-cat hit Oak and sent her flying back. Tiger laughed, until an orange tabby tom knocked him to the ground.

Oak got to her paws and let out a irritable hiss. Tiger pushed the orange tabby off and stood up, coughing.

"It's refreshing to see that my sister has actually been tackled for once in her life," Tiger growled. The orange tabby smacked Tiger lightly with his paw and chuckled.

"You said it, Tigah!" The orange tabby laughed. Tiger glared at the tom.

"Hi, Stream, hi, Flame," Oak meowed, slightly annoyed. Stream, the gray and white cat grinned, her green eyes shining.

"Hi! Oak, me and Flame just found this really awesome place where there are loads of mice!" Stream hopped up and down, and at that moment, Oak realized how hungry she really was. Her ribs where showing and her stomach growled. She stared at Stream and Flame, who seemed to be plump. She covered her stomach with her paws and tail in embarrassment.

"Yeah, but, um, it's kind of dangerous to get there…" Flame's voice trailed off as he stared at Tiger who was giving him a mad look.

"Dangerous?" Oak queried. Stream and Flame exchanged worried looks.

"Well… dogs…" Stream glanced at the sky. Oak felt her fur bristle. She expected to see her brother doing the same thing she was doing, but he was licking his lips.

"Well, if it has to do with food, I'm in!" Tiger mewed, grinning. Oak unsheathed her claws.

"You really are a dim-wit, aren't you?" Oak spat. She expected her brother to be smarter than Stream and Flame, but he seemed to be just as stupid.

"Oak, c'mon! I'm hungry, you're hungry… besides, it's the only place us strays can find food in an old town like this." Tiger pleaded her. Oak sighed. She _was_ hungry, but it wouldn't be worth it. Suddenly her gaze flickered over to Stream and Flame, who looked full. She rolled her eyes.

"Fine, we can go, but we have to tell Shade! These are tough times for her and her kittens." Oak agreed. Tiger licked her ears and Oak forced herself not to pull away.

They walked for a few minutes before they reached a large trashcan. Stream wrinkled her nose.

"Yuck! What's that smell?" She spat. Everyone ignored her. Suddenly, a tiny black kitten stumbled up to them. Her fur was matted and her ribs were showing.

"Bird, where's your mother?" Oak queried. The small she-cat shuffled her paws.

"She doesn't feel well…" the kitten squeaked. "We're all really hungry, and if momma doesn't eat, she can make milk for us." Bird looked as if she was ready to topple over from hunger. "But she's over there, under that bench."

The five cats walked over to the bench, where a small hole sat. The five cats jumped into it and saw three more kittens. Then they saw Shade. She was lying down, and her ribs were sticking out of her body. She breathed in and out slowly.

"Shade?" Oak called. Shade turned her head, her yellow eyes scanning over them.

"Oak, hi. Hey guys. Why are you here?" Shade sat up, her legs about to buckle underneath her.

"Shade… we've found a place where there is plenty of mice." Oak replied. Shade's eyes were wide after Oak said 'mice'.

"Where?" Shade questioned. Oak beckoned Stream and she came forward.

"They're at a barn. It's quite dangerous to get over there… with a few dogs." Stream told the black she-cat. Shade's eyes rolled into her head.

"Dogs?" They rolled back down as she stared at her kittens. "I-I guess I could come with you guys. I just need my babies to stay here." They were looking up at her with eyes full of hunger and hope. Shade sighed. "If it has to do with food they will do anything I say."

After that, Shade followed Oak and her friends out of the hole and into the open.


	2. Chapter 2

After about 20 minutes of walking, Stream held her tail up to signal everyone to stop. They looked forward and saw a barn.

"So that's where the mice is?" Oak asked, glancing around. Cows and horses grazed in the field, humans were walking in and out of the barn, and three dogs were dazing in the sun. Stream nodded.

"Look, we'll be fine! The dogs are sleeping. If we are quiet they won't hear us." Stream grinned. Oak forced herself to stop shaking. Although Stream sounded confident, Oak wasn't.

Stream and her orange tabby brother crouched down. Oak, Tiger, and Shade did the same. Stream crept forward, her paws barely touching the rough ground. Her green gaze flickered over to the dogs, who were sound asleep. Stream nodded and slid forward, the other four cats after her.

Not far ahead of them was a chicken coop. Oak saw that her brother had a mischievous smirk of his face. Oak dug her claws into the dirt beneath her. Her brother was going to have his stupid moment. _No, not now…_ she whispered in her head.

"Hey, Oak, you know that saying, 'don't be a chicken'? I'll prove it to you that chickens get scared easily!" Tiger hissed, tempted to scare them. Oak shook her head.

"Tiger, no-" Oak started, but to her dismay, her brother threw a small stick at the coop. There was a big _clank_,followed by squawking from the chickens. The dogs leapt to their feet, barking menacingly. Oak shot an angry look at Tiger, who was crouched beside her.

"Don't worry, guys, maybe the dogs are tied up," Stream reassured, but she was wrong. The dogs charged at them full speed, saliva dripping from their hungry jaws. They cats stared in shock until Shade herded them along.

"Hurry! To the barn!" Shade snapped. The other four cats took off in front of her. Oak could almost imagine the dogs eating Shade in one bite, then her brother, then her…

Oak felt great pain shoot through her body as she raced underneath a fence. Her fur got caught in the rails and she couldn't move.

"Help! Somebody help me!" Oak shrieked, but her pleaded calls drowned into the noise of the dogs barking. Oak tried to run forward, but instead the rails caught her skin. Her pelt began to feel sticky and the smell of blood drifted into her nose. The more she struggled, the more she got stuck and the more the rails dug into her skin. The could feel the dogs' hot breath on her bloody fur, and she prayed to her mother that she would be okay…

Suddenly, one of the dogs whimpered and backed away. The other two dogs walked up to the first dog and tried to help him. Oak swiveled her head to see Tiger on the first dog, ripping at its thick fur. Flame overtook the second one, and Stream battled the third one. Shade appeared and put a paw on Oak's flank.

"It's going to be okay, Oak, deep breaths," Shade told Oak. The calico followed Shade's instructions, and started to feel not as worried. "There you go. Now, relax, and come out this way." Oak took a few more breaths and started to wriggle out. Finally, she collapsed next to Shade. Although she hurt miserably, she started to feel better. Stream, Tiger, and Flame were heading towards the barn. Shade and Oak followed.

Stream sat down on a big pile of hay, itching her cheek. Tiger and Flame next to Stream, while Shade beckoned Oak to lay down.

"Where are the dogs?" Oak rasped. Her licked her shoulders, her mouth tasting salty blood.

"They aren't allowed in here. Their humans got them." Flame said. Oak sighed. If they weren't there, she would've died.

"What were you doing, Oak? You ran right into the pigs' pen… and got stuck. The best way is to climb over the fence." Stream queried. Oak wanted to swipe the cat's eyes out. Couldn't she tell that Oak was so scared that she had blindly rushed into the fence? Her neck fur began to bristle.

"Knock it off, you too," Shade ordered. Oak forced her fur to lie flat but glared at Stream angrily. The gray and white she-cat flicked the tip of her tail in annoyance. "Stream, Flame, Tiger, you guys go and hunt for Oak. I'll stay here and watch her." Oak watched as the three cats leapt over the edge.

"Hello?" A voice came. Oak looked up to see a white she-cat with a black muzzle. Her blue eyes scanned the cats below her. "What are you doing here?"

"We've come here for some food," Shade replied calmly. "We hear you have lots of mice." The white cat flicked the tip of her tail.

"Go ahead, there is plenty of mice to go around here," the cat smiled. Oak heard a loud hiss from her brother.

"Stupid house cat! You hunt for sport, we hunt to survive!" Tiger spat. The white she-cat stepped back a bit, then glanced at her paws.

"I'm not exactly a house cat, I mean, I belong to humans, but I spend most of my time in the barn." The cat whispered. Oak could tell she was timid.

"Tiger, let us handle this," Oak growled to her younger brother. "Thank you. What's your name, if I may ask?" The cat curled her tail around her paws.

"Jezebel," she responded. "What's your name?"

"I'm Oak, that's Shade, that's Tiger, that's Stream and that's Flame." Oak answered. Jezebel stared at Oak, fear flickering in her eyes.

"What happened to you?" Jezebel asked, leaping onto Oak and Shade's haystack.

"She ran underneath the fence that leads to the pigs' pen. The dog were chasing us," Shade murmured. Jezebel forced a weak smile.

"Those dogs, so stupid! They always just ignore me." Jezebel returned her attention to Oak's injury. "Let me get my humans, they can-" as Jezebel turned to leave, Oak let out a worried cry.

"No, you can't!" Oak shrieked. Jezebel turned to Oak, her expression quizzical.

"Why not?"

"Because, I don't want to become a house cat!" Oak yelled. Jezebel shrugged.

"Just let them take care of you, they won't keep you, besides, you can just live here in the barn," Jezebel soothed. Oak glanced at Shade. Although she wasn't sure, the black cat was smiling.

"It's bleeding pretty bad. You might want to have them take a look at it." Shade said. At that point, Oak started to feel dizzy. Her mind spun.

"I'll go get them," Jezebel whirled around and left, before Oak slipped into unconsciousness.


	3. Chapter 3

Oak woke up, feeling drowsy. Lifting her head feebly, she could feel something on her shoulders. She swiveled her head and saw something white on her shoulders. Her surroundings were also unfamiliar; pink was splash all around her. She saw something that led to the outside, but she could tell it had something over it.

"How are you feeling?"

Oak jumped at Jezebel's voice. The cat was padding up to her. Oak hissed.

"You lied to me!" She snapped. "You took me into the humans' house! I don't want to live here!"

"Relax!" Jezebel replied, putting her paw on Oak's back. She did what she was told and forced her fur to lie flat. "You aren't staying her forever, just until you are better." Oak glanced at the white thing on her shoulders again. "That's a bandage. It'll keep your stitches protected while you're up and about."

"S-stitches?" Oak stuttered. Although she wasn't sure what the word meant, it didn't sound good.

"It's thread that some humans put in your skin. It keeps the cut closed. They also cleaned it out," Jezebel explained. Oak started to shiver. All of it sounded extremely painful, yet she hadn't felt a thing. She closed her eyes for a second then snapped them open, hoping it was all a dream. But it wasn't. She sighed.

"What's going on?" Oak's voice shook and she had a huge headache. "Why didn't I feel it? Why doesn't it hurt?"

"You were asleep," Jezebel meowed. "You couldn't feel it because they gave you a special medicine so you would sleep and not feel anything." Oak still stared at her weird. "Medicine is stuff they make you eat." Oak was still confused. "You don't know much about humans, do you?"

"I know enough about them to know that they are stupid and evil," Oak hissed. Jezebel laughed. She walked around Oak, her tail held high in the air. Oak glared at her.

"You just don't get it, do you?" Jezebel mewed. "Maybe humans aren't as smart as cats, but at least they saved your life!" Jezebel told Oak. Oak rolled her eyes. Just because the humans saved her, didn't mean they were good. Jezebel sighed. "You don't know because you've lived on the streets your whole life." Oak turned her head to face Jezebel.

"Oh, because I live on the streets, does that automatically make me a dirty rat? You've been a house cat your whole life! You've had life given to you! I've had to work for life! I earned life!" Oak sneered. Jezebel took a step back. Oak couldn't help but grin. _That's right, _she thought. _Be afraid of me! I can beat you up! There's no way a house cat can beat a street smart stray cat! _She unsheathed her claws and stood up. She shook a little bit, but she wouldn't give up. She took a step forward, but by then, she was too exhausted to move. Her legs buckled beneath her, her cheekbones silently moaned and she collapsed. The terrified look vanished from Jezebel's eyes. It was replaced with worry.

"Oak," she murmured. "What have you gotten yourself into?"

"It was Stream's fault," Oak muttered. "If it weren't for her and her mangy brother I wouldn't be here right now." Jezebel shook her head.

"It's no ones fault." Jezebel said. "Except the dogs." Oak laughed quietly. Jezebel noticed her skinny figure and frowned.

"I think your friends are outside hunting," Jezebel meowed, flicking her tail towards the outside. "Either that or they don't want to move because they're too scared to hear if you're going to be okay." Oak smiled. Her friends were always there for her, and they had risked their lives to save her. "If it weren't for them, you'd be dead."

"I know. They're great friends." Oak mewed, purring loudly. She groaned. "So, do you have any friends?" Jezebel shuffled her paws and shook her head.

"No, I'm the only cat around here. But I get used to the horses and pigs and dogs. I guess you can consider them my friends." Jezebel explained. Oak felt sorry for the she-cat. She was so lonely she had to consider dogs as her friends.

"Well, I don't mind if you hang with us," Oak replied. "But you'll probably have to live somewhere closer to town." Jezebel's eyes grew wide and she drew back.

"No way," she murmured. "I love farm life. The only vehicles we have around here are tractors. Besides, the town has barely any food. I'm full right here in the barn. I don't need to move." Oak couldn't understand why she would want to live on a farm, but she didn't question her. "You might want to stay here for a while, just until you're better."

"Okay," Oak responded. She smiled as Jezebel watched her, before drifting off to sleep.


End file.
